Youth ministry organization seeks to help troubled teens

By Staff Writer

In an effort to help teens who are suffering from severe depression, self-mutilation and addiction, Scott Brinson founded My Broken Place, a youth ministry organization that seeks to offer hope.

The Christian Post reports that Brinson, who has struggled with depression, started My Broken Place a year ago to cater to a whole generation of hurting teens. With a small group of volunteers, Brinson attends youth events and churches, in addition to setting up a makeshift prayer wall made of canvas.

The group's first strategy is to build relationships with these youths. Brinson told the news source that the kids become comfortable because My Broken Place a safe third party.

The program has a small staff that responds to emails and posts that are made on a virtual prayer wall on their website. Others are encouraged to click on the prayer requests and write a response – which is automatically emailed to the person who posted the prayer.

According to research conducted by PBS, major depression affects approximately 15 million American adults or about 8 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year.